Everyones favourite Mental Metal band from Armenia SYSTEM OF A DOWN have announced details of a special release for that capitalist celebration we like to call Xmas

The release is worryingly titled 'Steal This Album' and is a collection of 12-17 (they aint decided yet) new tracks, including 'Innervision', 'Fuck The System', 'Pictures', 'Boom', 'American Dream,' and a acoustic song called 'Roulette'. Some of the tracks are from before the group sold their soul to the Devil/Columbia/Sony in 1995 and some are from the recording session which bought us the nastiness which is 'Toxicity'. There will also be various intros that have been used on the band’s tours, and other musical tidbits will be woven throughout the CD.

But the band are adament...

“We don’t consider any of these songs B-sides or outtakes,” says Serj Tankian. “The songs that didn’t make it onto ‘Toxicity’ are as good as, if not better than the songs that did - they weren’t originally included because they didn’t fit the overall continuity of the album, and we’re happy that our fans will be able to hear them in their completed form.”

Malakian continues.. "This record is like a bridge between ‘Toxicity’ and our next studio record. It may give our fans a clue at the direction we’re headed in musically."

Release date is still to be confirmed.

In other SOAD related news, Serj Tankian, has started his own record label, 'Serjical Strike', as an imprint of Columbia Records. There are 3 albums planned for release from LA groups Bad Acid Trip, Kittens For Christian and Slow Motion Reign, which'll be out in 2003.